Method of treating plastic substances



Sept. 22, 1936.. .J. KREMER METHOD OF TREATING PLASTIC SUBSTANCES Filed July 30, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Sept. 22, 1936. KREMER 2,054,937

METHOD OF TREATING PLASTIC SUBSTANCES Filed July 30, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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%a ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 22, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT, QFFICE METHOD OF TREATING PLASTIC SUB- STANCES John Kramer, Southport, Conn.

Application July 30, 1932, Serial No. 626,538

9 Claims. (Cl- 107-54) My invention relates to improvements in To the attainment of the aforesaid objects heating dough and other products and the same and ends, my invention resides in the succeshas for its object to provide a simple, eflicient sive steps constituting the method hereinafter and reliable method for treating plastic or semimore fully described, and then pointed out in plastic masses and analogous products, wherethe claims. by to dry, bake, change or harden the same. In the accompanying drawings-- Further, said invention has for its object to Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing in provide a method by which bread, dough or side elevation one form of apparatus for carryother products whether cellular or non-celluing out my said invention; lar in character may. be treated in a continuous Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view, partly in secor substantially continuous operation. tion showing the arrangement of spacing means Further, said invention has for its object to for the dough elements;

provide a method by which the dough or other Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 product is discharged from a suitable hopper or of Fig. l;

receptacle and fed into a suitable element or Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating a modi- 15 duct connected to or communicating with the fled form of apparatus, and outlet of said hopper, and then, while the dough Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing a further is passing through said element or duct, submodification. jected to the action of a medium whereby the In Figure 1 of said drawings l0 designates a plastic mass is dried, baked or otherwise consuitable hopper -or receptacle which, is sup- 20 verted into more or less hard condition and ported in an elevated position, as for example, molded to shape, in the floor above, and having its outlet II in Further, said invention has for its object to the form of a chute connected to the upper end provide a method of baking bread and analogous of a conduit which may be of any suitable form,

dough product by which the dough is caused but is here shown as a tubular element 52 which 2 to pass through a suitable tubular element or is preferably supported in a more or less vertical duct, and in the course of passage therethrough, position. The height of the hopper l0 and the and before its discharge therefrom is subjected length of the tubular element or conduit It. to heat or to the action of electric energy, or should be such as will provide the necessary electro-magnetic waves, or to a changing elechead to insure the due passage of the dough 30 tric or magnetic field in order to bake the same. mass through the same. When it is desired to Further, said invention has for its object to force the dough mass through the apparatus, or provide a method of enclosing a mass of plasto submit the same to pressure above or below tic material with a flexible envelope or wrapatmospheric pressure the hopper Ii] may be proper, and drying, heating or baking the matevided with a hinged cover l0 having a, lock- 35 rial or substance by applying electric current ing device I0, and a pipe ll] having one end thereto, providing for the escape of water or communicating with the hopper I0 and its other other fluids therefrom during such operation. end connected to a suitable fluid compression or Further, said invention has for its object to suction apparatus whereby the pressure upon provide a method of treating a mass of plastic the dough mass may be varied. The lower 40 material, and providing for the escape of water portion of said tubular element or duct I2 is or other fluids therefrom which may be created rounded at E3 and is suitably supported in any or which may occur during the treatment of convenient manner. The baking element I5 is the mass. connected to the tubular element i2, interme- Further, said'invention has for its object to diate the inlet and outlet thereof so that the 45 provide a method of baking bread and analdough on entering the same may, during the ogous dough products by which the plastic baking process, expand into and become molded dough, as it issues from a hopper or container to the form defined by the inner walls of said is forced through a tubular element or duct and baking element.

past electric elements located therein whereby The baking element may be of any desired 50 the plastic dough mass is converted into a conform in cross-section, such, for example, as tinuous body of more or less hard condition round, substantially rectangular or of tapering and molded to form. or varying width, and by preference is made of Other objects will in part be obvious, and in porcelain, soapstone or any suitable refractory part hereinafter be pointed out, or other material, and is provided upon its inner sides or walls with electrodes I6, IS. The electrodes are arranged oppositely in pairs, and the electrodes I6 preferably being of less width than the electrodes I6. The electrodes I6 are connected by conductors IT to the transformer I8, which is connected to the frequency changer I8.

The electrodes I6 are connected by conductors I'I to the alternating generator IB The electrodes are preferably made of carbon in the form' form of separate elements or loaves instead of in the form of a continuous rod, the dough may be fed into the conduit I2 in measured charges or quantities, and the several charges maintained separated from one another by any suitable means, such, for example, as a spacing block 25, made of suitable material, introduced after each charge or quantity of dough which will hold the same duly separated during the movement of the mass through the conduit I and the baking element I5, and cause the baked dough to issue from the latter in separate units or loaves. The spacing blocks 25 may be connected by any convenient means such as wires or other flexible connection so as to assist in moving the dough mass through the conduit, and the said spacing blocks may, when formed of suitable material, serve to generate and/or retain heat to aid in the bakingoperation.

To relieve the tubular element I3 from internal pressure, the same may be provided at suitable intervals with vents I to permit of the escape of any liquids, vapors or gases present in the material treated. In some instances it may also be desirable to use a suitable lubricant to insure the due passage of .the mass through the tubular element I5.

In operation the plastic dough is received in the hopper Ill, and after passing through the tubular element enters the baking element I5 where the same is baked by the resistance of the 'mass to the passage of the electric current and molded to shape. The baking element may be of any suitable form in cross-section but by preference is made square or rectangular to impart that form to the finally baked dough mass.

The interior of the tubular element I5 and the hopper I0 andconnected parts may be coated or supplied with a suitable lubricant, such, for example, as grease, water or other medium to keep the material free from the walls of the element in order to prevent the dough adhering to the interior of the walls of the tube during its movement through said tubular element and/or to form'a better electric contact so as to facilitate the flow of current.

The movement of the dough through the tubular element and baking element should be so timed and/or the strength of the current so controlled that the dough will be sufiiciently baked sufiicient time to complete baking of the mass.

When for any reason it is impossible or inconvenient to support the hopper Ill on the receiving end of the duct or tubular element I5 sufiiciently high to obtain the necessary head for the dough mass, the same may be provided as shown at Fig. 5 with a relatively short tubular duct I2- communicating at its lower end with a transverse chamber 2| supported upon legs 20.

Within the chamber ZI is located any suitable means for feeding or forcing the dough mass through the same, such, for example, as a spiral conveyor 22 mounted upon a shaft 23 whose outer end, which extends through one end of the chamber ZI, is fixed to one end of the shaft of a direct-coupled electric motor 24. The opposite end of the chamber 2I is open and provided with a baking element I4, generator I8 and conveyor I9, as abovadescribed.

When desirable, ,and to facilitate the bakin operation, and to prevent the dough adhering to the walls of said conduit, the same may be enclosed, eitheriwholly or partly, in a paper, textile fabric or other suitable porous material and so passed through the conduit I2.

In the modification shown at Fig. 4, the tubular element or duct I2 has its upper end I2 open to receive the lower end of a chute I2 leading from a hopper II and'has a curved outlet portion IZ The lower end of the chute I2 is disposed within the open upper end of said duct I2. The open upper end I2 of the tubular element or duct I2 is preferably circular in cross-section and is provided with curved edges I3 forming folding means which is adapted to engage the opposite longitudinal edges of a strip or sheet of paper 30 fed from a roll 3|. The paper may, if desired, be lubricated and suitably rendered conductive, as by moistening the same with a suitable electrolyte or conductive grease.

The paper 30, after it leaves the roll 3|, is received upon a flat extension 32 projecting from the rear end of the tubular element I2, and" then passes between the lower end of the inclined chute or duct I 2' and the inner side of the folding device I3 by which the longitudinal edges of the strip of paper 30 are overlapped a short distance to enclose the dough as it is caused to issue from the lower end of said in-, clined duct or chute I2 and be forced onward, together with its surrounding envelope of paper.

No detailed description of the baking of the dough mass by the medium of electric energy or electromagnetic waves, etc. is given herein since such a method forms the subject matter of my earlier application Serial No. 354,467, filed April 12, 1929.

It will, of course, be obvious that the mass or rod 20 of baked bread may be severed either transversely or longitudinally into lengths or strips of any suitable size or shape as it issues from the baking element I5 or that the same may be carried away by the conveyor I9 to a distant point to permit of the baked bread becoming sufficiently cooled to render the cutting operation more easy, and appropriately severed at such distant point. The conveyor may be operated at such speed as to insure the due movement of the dough mass thrg'iugh the tubular element, and the removal or widthdrawal of the baked product from the delivery end of said element.

While I have shown and described my invention in connection with the baking of dough products, such as bread, cake and similar substances, it will, of course, be understood that the v resistance of the mass invention maybe applied to the treatment of other substances or materials.

' Further, it is to be noted that while I havedescribed the treating of the dough mass in a bread, and have used the term bread in the specification and claims that the said term is intended to include cake, and other products possessing similar qualities or characteristics. Having thus described my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. The method of treating a mass of plastic -material which consists in passing the same through a conduit .to shape the same; interposing sheet material between the surfacesof said mass and the walls of said conduit whereby to maintain the mass out of contact with said walls during its passage through said conduit, and subjecting the mass to the action of a medium traversing the mass and said sheet material and generating heat within said mass to reduce the plasticity of the mass and hold the same to produced shape, substantially as specified.

2. The method of treating a mass of dough which consists in passing the same through a conduit, interposing sheet material between the surfaces of said dough mass and the adjacent walls ofsaid conduit whereby to prevent direct contact of the mass with said walls during the passage of the mass through said conduit, and subjecting the, mass to the action of electric energy whereby to heat the same by the internal to the passage of said electric energy therethrough to bake the mass, substantially as specified.

3. The method of treating a mass of dough which consists in passing the same through a conduit, interposing sheet material between the surfaces of said dough mass and the adjacent walls of said conduit whereby to prevent the mass adhering to the walls of said conduit during the passage thereof through said conduit,

and subjecting the mass to the action of electric energy to heat the mass and mold the same to shape, substantially as specified.

4. The method of treating a mass of plastic material which consists in moving the same through a stationary tubular conduit, subjecting the moving mass to the action of electric energy whereby to heat the same by the internal resistance of said mass to the action of said electric energy and converting the plastic mass into substantially solid form and then discharging said solidified mass in the form of a continuous product from said tubular element, substantially as specified.

.5. The method of treating amass of dough which consists in moving the same through a 5 relatively stationary tubular conduit, subjecting the moving dough mass to the action of electric current whereby to heat the same by the internal resistance of said mass to the passage of said electric current mass into baked bread, discharging said baked bread in the form of a continuous body from said tubular conduit, substantially as specified.

6. The method of treating a mass of dough which consists in feeding the same in measured 15 quantities into a stationary conduit, inserting spacing members between said measured quantities, moving said measured quantities and spacing members through said conduit, subjecting said measured quantities to the action of elec- 20 tric current whereby to heat the same by the internal resistance of said measured quantities to the passage of said electric current and converting the measured quantities into baked bread elements, and then discharging said baked ele- 25 ments from said conduit, substantially as specified.

7. The method of treating a mass of dough which consists in feeding the same in measured quantities into a stationary conduit, inserting 30 spacing members between said measured quantities, moving said measured quantities and spacing members through said conduit, and into a baking chamber, subjecting said measured quantities to the action of electric current in its 35 passage through said baking chamber whereby to heat the same by the internal resistance of said measured quantities to the passage of said electric current and converting the measured quantities into baked bread loaves, and then 40 discharging said baked loaves from said baking chamber, substantially as specified.

8. The method of treating a mass of plastic material which consists in causing electric current to traverse the change therein while interposing sheets of material rendered electrically conductive between said mass and the planes of application of current thereto.

9. Themethod of treating a mass of plastic 50 material which consists in passing the same through a conduit to shape the same, interposing sheet material between said mass and the walls of said conduit, and subjecting said mass while insaid conduit to the action of electric 55 current applied through said sheet material to reduce the plasticity of the mass.

JOHN KREMER.

and converting the dough 10 mass to effect a desired 5 

